REJOINDER - ARREST FOOTSOLDIERS MINISTER TELLS POLICE

Accra, June 8, GNA - The attention of the Ministry of Local Governme nt and Rural Development has been drawn to a news story captured in your esteemed newspaper, the Daily Guide of Monday, June 7, 2010 on page four headlined, "Arrest Footsoldiers - Minister Tells Police" culled from the ed lecture the Hon. Deputy Minister, Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, gave at the Gh ana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Teshie on June 3, 2010 dubbed, "local government: The Reality of Funding and the Management/Resolution o f Crisis at the District level".

The lecture was harmless, well-intended and properly delivered. The Ministry is, therefore, surprised at the distortion of the true state of the lecture. This misrepresentation of facts about the lecture is most unfortunate and totally unacceptable, to say the least. The Ministry, therefore, raises serious concern about the lead banne r of the story which stated erroneously that the Minister "directed the security personnel of the security agencies to arrest and arraign for cou rt any footsoldier".

This rejoinder is, therefore, intended to correct the impression created in the minds of your numerous readers. The fact of the matter is that the Hon. Minister was dealing broadly on the spate of conflicts up north and other parts of the country including the chieftaincy, religion and politics to criminal justice system and civil disputes in the country. The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies do in one way or

the other, entangle in conflict or crisis management citing the Bawku, Anloga, Yendi, Tamale, Dagbon and Sefwi cases which take away the countr y's peaceful environment and resources for development as a clear example. The Hon. Minister, therefore, in his intervention opined that many District Assemblies and other Local Governance structures spend considera ble human and financial resources to ensure that conflicts and crisis for tha t matter are resolved and properly managed to ensure co-existence of all manner of people.

He also urged the security personnel to take firm instructions and action where people violate the rights of others. This is because the security agencies have been empowered to enforce law and order in the country since the chiefs, politicians or whoever violates the law must be

dealt with according to the laws of this country. The Ministry hopes that your paper gives equal prominence to this rejoinder to allay the concerns of the general public as regards the wron g signal your story might have sent out there. The original story was culled from the Ghana News Agency (GNA), and the MI